Picky eater, doesn’t like change, is easily annoyed (reminds me of some people I know). Number 9-11 is one of the youngest birds in this year’s class and to say she is a bit peculiar is putting it mildly. The OM crew learned not to approach her from the back, surprises irritate her, causing her to stomp her feet and engage in threatening behavior. When the crew received the same response from frontal approaches, they realized that this little chick needs a rather large personal space. Her favorite activity is playing with sticks and roots. She likes tossing them into the air, but this game is played by her and her alone. Flight training is something she preferred not to bother with. The first couple of weeks on the road, #9-11 migrated in a crate. But by October 29, those migratory genes turned on, and she flew like the wind. What will the future holds for this “I’d rather be alone,” whooper? Too early to tell. Follow her progress on the OM website.

This information and the chick’s photo came from the OM website: http://www.operationmigration.org/
Read more about the Class of 2011 by going to the website’s “In the Field,” then “Site Map,” and scroll down until you see the bios for the various classes. You can also purchase whooping crane merchandize on the website: jewelry, T-shirts, greeting cards, etc (great for Christmas gifts). And you can sponsor migration miles. There are more than 500 left for this year. 
Next Sunday, read about chick #10-11, a mellow little birdie, who has no qualms about stealing grapes.